168 LSAT. 3.74 GPA. Special or maybe not so special background. Is NYU a possibility? Forum

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klinepk

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168 LSAT. 3.74 GPA. Special or maybe not so special background. Is NYU a possibility?

Post by klinepk » Wed Jun 29, 2016 10:14 am

I took the LSAT for the first time December 2015 but didn't end up with the score I wanted (ended up with a 162). However, the scores are out and I received a 168 this time. I'm very happy about it.

I am a non-traditional applicant who has spent the last four years in China. I speak the language, and I also have a Master's degree in Chinese politics from a top Chinese university. I performed near the top of my class and graduated with a 3.83. My thesis was in an area of Chinese law, and I worked with a well-regarded Chinese legal scholar. I hope to continue that kind of work in some capacity during law school. This is one of the reasons why I hope to aggressively target schools like NYU, which has one of the more well-established Chinese/Asian law institutes and associated faculty working in Chinese law.

Now I've been a long-time visitor here, so I know the usual drill about people thinking their softs are stronger than they actually are, and I'm perfectly willing to accept that that may also be true in my case. I've also probably got all the myLSN numbers seared into my brain at this point, so I know my chances, if only anecdotally. With that said though, I still want to know what you all think. With the 3.74 and the 168 LSAT, with a very focused personal statement and "Why X school" addendum targeting specific professors and with very specific reasons for wanting to go to the school, and with my particular background and history, do you think I have a shot at NYU? I'm assuming I'm pretty much out of the running for Columbia. Thoughts?

(Also, I don't feel like I should take the test again. My score range has never settled into anything consistent - I've scored as high as a 174 and as low as a 163 on PTs - so I'm not confident at all that with two months additional preparation I can score higher than my current highest score. I've already prepared 5 months overall, 4 of which were before the December 2015 exam).

Thanks in advance!

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